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Alicia McDermott

Alicia McDermott holds degrees in Anthropology, Psychology, and International Development Studies and has worked in various fields such as education, anthropology, and tourism. Traveling throughout Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, Alicia has focused much of her research on Andean cultures – past and present.

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Member for: 8 years 10 months

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The first clear example of an ancient Harappan couple burial.

11 January, 2019 - 13:58 Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists Find the First Example of a Harappan Couple Burial

A rare discovery at an ancient Harappan site shows that death doesn’t even mean the end for some relationships. The couple’s burial stands out from others in a sprawling cemetery. Even in the grave,...

The remarkably well-preserved Medieval sword found in the ruins of a Spanish castle.

27 December, 2018 - 18:52 Alicia McDermott

Medieval Sword from the War of the Two Peters Unearthed In Spanish Castle

Archaeologists have made a rare discovery during their second season of work at a Medieval castle in Aín, Castellón, Spain. The have unearthed a 700-year-old sword that is in a remarkable state. The...

‘Egyptian on Chariot in Crossroads of Civilization exhibit at Milwaukee Public Museum’. King Menes is credited with uniting the upper and lower lands of Egypt through both political alliance and military means.

21 December, 2018 - 18:52 Alicia McDermott

Menes: Legends Say He United Egypt Under its First Dynasty…But Did He Even Exist?

Much like the ancient Romans had Romulus and Remus to thank for the foundation of their civilization, so too did the ancient Egyptians have a legendary figure that united the Upper and Lower lands –...

6 December, 2018 - 01:55 Alicia McDermott

The Curious Disappearance of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers – A Scottish Mystery

The Flannan Isles, located in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, are a set of small and uninhabited rocky islands with a curious history. One of the islands, Eilean Mor, was the setting of a great historical...

Illustration of a machi healing a patient, from ‘Atlas of Physical and Political History of Chile’ (‘Atlas de la historia física y política de Chile’), by Claudio Gay. A machi is a Chilean traditional healer. Since ancient times, tobacco has been a popular substance used in shamanic practices in Chile.

30 November, 2018 - 18:58 Alicia McDermott

Lethal Effects of Ancient Tobacco Consumption Identified in the Miscarried Baby of a Shamaness

2,400 years ago a shamaness suffered a miscarriage. The remains of that baby were found in a rock shelter in Northern Chile and have the earliest known traces of ancient tobacco found in biological...

A Las Vegas culture skull excavated in Loma Atahualpa, Ecuador in 2018 is part of the oldest burials found in the country to date.

28 November, 2018 - 23:00 Alicia McDermott

Newly Discovered 10,000 Year Old Las Vegas Culture Burials are the Oldest in Ecuador

Las Vegas doesn’t just refer to the ‘city of lights’; for archaeologists in Ecuador Las Vegas also denotes an ancient culture that once thrived on the Pacific coast. But just because a culture is...

21 November, 2018 - 22:55 Alicia McDermott

‘Fire and Brimstone’ that Destroyed Biblical Sodom Matches Findings of Cosmic Catastrophe 3,700 Years Ago

Analysis of archaeological sites north of the Dead Sea demonstrate that a meteor explosion in the skies 3,700 years ago instantly obliterated a civilization and destroyed once fertile farmland in...

Oldest intact shipwreck in the world found in the Black Sea.

23 October, 2018 - 19:31 Alicia McDermott

In the Depths for 2400 Years: Oldest Intact Shipwreck in the World Found Amongst Black Sea Wrecks

The Black Sea has been a busy place for underwater archaeology. Of the over 60 shipwrecks that have been identified in the region, there are three ancient shipwrecks which have caught the most...

Statue of Sun Tzu in Yurihama, Tottori, in Japan.

9 October, 2018 - 18:52 Alicia McDermott

Sun Tzu: Famous Chinese Strategist and Philosopher

“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.” General Sun Tzu...

Life-size Dorset masks. (500-1000 AD) The masks were carved from driftwood and painted. They also once had fur moustaches and eyebrows attached with pegs. Scholars believe that the masks were probably used by shamans in rituals to cure illness, control the weather, or to aid in hunts.

15 September, 2018 - 03:49 Alicia McDermott

Preserved in Legends and Ice: What Led to the Extinction of the Dorset Culture?

Before the Inuit’s ancestors conquered the Arctic region of what we now call Canada and Greenland, there is evidence of another remarkable Paleo-Eskimo culture– the Dorset. Soon after the arrival of...

6 September, 2018 - 18:46 Alicia McDermott

Rituals at a Modern Viking Wedding: A Blood Sacrifice, Bride Running, and Obligatory Drinking

While others may have had weddings with a Viking theme, it has been said that Rune and Elisabeth Dalseth are the first couple in almost 1,000 years to have held a true Viking wedding that includes...

Point of a throwing spear used by an indigenous hunter 1,000 years ago. It was discovered in a Yukon ice patch.

5 September, 2018 - 22:53 Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists in the Yukon find a Remarkably Intact Dart Lost by an Indigenous Hunter 1,000 Years Ago

Local belief says that the Yukon ice patches have been a preferred caribou hunting ground for the ancestors of Carcross/Tagish First Nation Citizens for at least 9000 years. Just recently, an...

Medusa in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. There are other creatures from ancient Greek myth in Assassin’s Creed as well.

5 September, 2018 - 14:00 Alicia McDermott

Ancient Greek Myth in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Medusa, The Minotaur and More?

The upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey game gives players a glimpse at the mythology of ancient Greece . How big of a step the creators have taken into that realm is still under wraps, but when the...

31 August, 2018 - 01:51 Alicia McDermott

The Spectacular Ancient Maya City of Uxmal

The ancient Maya city of Uxmal is located in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It was one of the regional capitals during the Maya Late Classical period and is considered today to be one of the most...

The restored horse head is on view for the first time since its discovery in 2009

30 August, 2018 - 14:04 Alicia McDermott

Bronze Horse Head of Waldgirmes Emphasizes that Germanic Tribes and Romans Sometimes Played Nice

Last week a rare Roman bronze horse’s head made international headlines because it gained a German farmer a pretty penny. Now the sculpture fragment is back in the limelight because archaeologists...

Reconstructed face of Eva of Naharon, who would have lived about 13,600 years ago.

22 August, 2018 - 22:31 Alicia McDermott

Putting a Face to Eva of Naharon, The Oldest Human Relic Found in the Americas

Eva of Naharon, also known as the Woman of Naharon, is the name given to the oldest known human remains found in the Americas to date. She met her demise in a cenote (sinkhole) some 13,600 years ago...